Apparatus for treating respiratory organs



Aug. 6, 1940. w LARSON 2,210,373

APPARATUS FOR TREATING RESPIRATORY ORGANS File'd March 23 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR N EYS g- 1940. M. w. LARSON 73 APPARATUS FOR TREATING RESPIRATORY ORGANS Filed Marbh 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT O E APPARATUS FOR TREATING RESPIRATORY:

ORGANS Magnus W. Larson, Seattle, Wash.

Application March 23, 1939, Serial No. 263,785 4 Claims. (Cl. 128367) My invention relates broadly to steam cabinets, and more particularly to a cabinet formedicinally treating infections and disorders of the respiratory organs.

An important object of my invention is to provide a cabinet-adapted to receive the head of a person suffering from sinus trouble, head colds, catarrhand other diseases oithe head, throat,

and respiratory'tracts, and having means assovide means for medicating the vapor before introducing the same into the cabinet.

Still another object of my invention is to provide'means to selectively control the temperature within the cabinet.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the follow-' ing description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming apart 2:} of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the vaporizer, and showing its association with the cabinet,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

35 Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, illustrating the deflector embodying a part of my invention,

Figure 5 is an edgewise elevation of the deflector plate,

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view, partly in elevation, illustrating the adjusting screw for selectively positioning the cover of the cabine with respect to the body thereof, and a Figure 7 is a perspective View of the mixing Valve embodying a part of my invention.

In the drawings, wherein .for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral II! designates the cabinet in its entirety, including a housing II, cover I2, vaporizer i3, mixing valve I4 and deflector I5.

The housing iI is substantially box-like in its construction, having an open bottom and with the front wall I6 thereof recessed, as at IT, to embrace the neck of a person whose head is to be accommodated within the housing I I.

The cover I2 is hinged to'the rear wall of the housing, and has secured to its outer side thereof a heating element I8, the inner end of which ex-' tends through the opening I9. A plurality of flexible wires 20 are positioned circumferentially around the opening I9 with their outer ends joined, as at. 2|. Disposed within the wires '20,

and supported thereby, is a substantially circular deflector 22, oiasbestos or the like, to effectively shield-the face of a personwithin the housing I I from the direct radiations of the heating element. The forward edge of the cover I 2 is provided centrallythereof with a swivel screw 23 which is formed with an annular flange 24 rotatably received in a recess 24'. A retaining plate 25 is bolted, or otherwise secured, to the outside of the cover between the flange 24 and head 28 of the screw and prevents the said bolt from being longitudinally displaced from the cover, but permitting the axial rotation thereof. When the cover is in the lowered position the heating element I8 and the wires 20 are received in an opening 29 in thetop of the housing I I, and the shank 26 of the screw 2315 received in a screw threaded opening 30 provided in the top adjacent. the front wall I6. The numeral 3| designates a circular container which is attached tov the housing. II by the. threaded pipe 32 and threaded thereon between the walls of the container and the housing is an intermediate nut 33. Nuts 34 and 35 are threaded on the pipe intei'iorlyof vthe container 3i and housing 32 tofsecurely clamp the same together. The container 3] is formed adjacent its lower end 36 with an annular flange38 which supports-a false bottom 31. -A heating element 39 is disposed between diametrically opposed sides of the flange 38 and is connected to an electrical conat its outer periphery withv a depending skirt 42 adapted to embrace the upper end of the con-' tainer, and with the inner portion thereof bent downwardly and-inwardly to form an annular bead 43 adapted to supportthe cap 44. The cap 44 is provided at its top with an opening 45 through which extends a flexible chain 46 having a ball 41 attached to its outer end to prevent the same from dropping within the container 3! and a foraminated medication container 48 pendulously attached to its lower end. I

The mixing valve I4 is formed with a vertically disposed portion 49 interposed between the nut 35 and the wall of the housing II. The lower portion 50 of the valve is disposed in acute angular relation therewith, and either edge 5| thereof is curved upwardly and inwardly to form side Walls for directing the vapor issuing from the vaporizer l3, through the restricted mouth 52. A deflector i5 is positioned in the forward wall l6 of the housing I! adjacent the top and in alignment with the mouth 52 of the mixing valve M, to receive the vapors issuing therefrom against the substantially circular deflecting plate 53. The plate 53 is formed with a vertically disposed segment 54 to which is attached the shank 55 of a handle 56. The handle 56 is positioned exteriorly of the wall I6 and provides a means whereby the reflector [5 may be manually rotated from a position exteriorly of the housing H.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The treatment consists in the application of heat developed and applied through the electric heater l8 mounted on the cover I2 of the cabinet, and by the application of medicated steam or vapor produced in the vaporizer 13 attached to the side of the cabinet. The vapor issuing therefrom passes through the pipe 32 and into the mixing valve M where it is thoroughly mixed With the warm air in the cabinet and directed against the deflecting plate I5. The plate [5 is rotatably adjustable so that the vapor may then be directed to the mouth or nostrils 0f the person whose head is within the cabinet H. When the heater I8 is energized, and the cover l2 tightly closed, the interior of the housing II will become heated, and the desired temperature is maintained by properly positioning the cover. The adjusting screw 23 may be axially rotated to raise or lower the cover to allow heat to escape from within the cabinet or to be retained therein.

A quantity of water is introduced into the container 3 I, and the desired medication in the container 48. When electric current flows through the heater 39 below the false bottom 31 of the container 3| the water within the container is volatilized, and in rising passes through the fo-raminated container 48, where it becomes sat-' urated with the medication therein. As the medicated vapor issues from the pipe 32 it is thoroughly mixed with the heated air within the cabinet H in passing through the mixing valve 54. The upwardly extending side Walls 5| of the valve will direct the vapor through the mouth 52 and against the deflecting plate 53 which may be manually rotated to properly cause the vapor to flow into the mouth and nostrils of the patient.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described; is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended-claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A vaporizer comprising the combination of a housing having an open bottom side and a recess in the front wall thereof to receive the neck of a person, a cover pivotally attached to the housing, a heating element carried by the cover and received within the housing,.a screw swivelly connected to the cover and engaging a screw threaded opening in the top of the said housing, a medication container disposed exteriorly of said housing and communicating therewith, a valve member within said housing to mix the medicated vapors issuing from the container with the warm air within the housing, and an adjustable deflector disposed within the housing to direct the vapors toward the mouth and nostrils of the said person.

2. A vaporizer comprising the combination .of a housing having an open bottom side and a recess in the front wall thereof to receive the neck of a person, a cover pivotally attached to the housing, a heating element carried by the cover and received within the housing, a screw swivelly connected to the cover and engaging a screw threaded opening in the top of the said housing, a Water receiving receptacle exteriorly of the housing and communicating therewith, a cover for the said receptacle, a heating element within said receptacle to volatilize the water therein, a foraminated medication container depending from the cover and above the said water, and means to direct the vapor issuing from the said receptacle toward the mouth and nostrils of the said person.

3. A vaporizer comprising the combination of a housing having an open bottom side and a recess in the front wall thereof to receive the neck of a person, a cover pivotally attached to the housing, a heating element carried by the cover and received within the housing, a screw swivelly connected to the cover and engaging a screw threaded opening in the top of the said housing, a water receiving receptacle exteriorly of the housing and communicating therewith, a cover for the said receptacle, a heating element within said receptacle to volatilize the water therein, a foraminated medication container depending from the cover and above the said water, and. a valve member within said housing to mix the medicated vapors issuing from the receptacle with the warm air within the housing, and an adjustable deflector within the housing to direct the vapors toward the mouth and nostrils of the said person.

4. A vaporizer comprising a housing adapted to receive the head of a person therein, a heating element retractively received within said housing, a medication container disposed exteriorly of said housing, a tubular member communicating with the said container and the said housing, an adjustable deflector rotatably mounted in the housing, a handle attached to the said deflector exteriorly of the housing to permit the manual rotation thereof, and a mixing valve within the housing disposed below the said tubular member and having upwardly curved side walls to direct the vapors toward the said defiector.

MAGNUS W. LARSON. 

